Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: In view of upcoming Assembly election and festival season, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Ajeet Kumar Sahu and Deputy Commissioner Samba Mubarak Singh reviewed security arrangements in their respective districts.
DC Jammu Ajeet Kumar Sahu along with SSP Jammu Uttam Chand today convened a meeting to review the security scenario, law and orders situation in the district.
During the meeting, the stress was laid for maintenance of overall law and order in general and for Independence Day and celebration of religious festivals in particular.
DC asked the Police and Civil administration to conduct meetings with people in their respective area jurisdictions to maintain good cordial relation with the people.
Other issues which came up for detailed discussions include, identification of trouble creators and Trouble Shooters, timely action crime investigation, meeting with people up to village level for maintaining peace and tranquility, effective implementation of ban on polythene and noise pollution, timely LPG home delivery and complained redresses status, preparation in view of Assembly election 2014, border firing, infiltration, etc.
SSP Jammu Uttam Chand also gave account of arrangements put in place by district police to tackle law and order situations, especially for celebration of Independence Day and ensuing festivals.
Among others, ADC Kalyan Singh, ACG Shahnaz Akhtar, SSP Traffic Sanjay Parihar, SSP Security Jammu Ramesh Angral, SE PHE Sunil Gupta, Deputy Controller Legal Metrology Manoj Prabhakar, Deputy Director CAPD Babu Ram, Deputy Controller Enf V. S. Sambyal, SP South Jammu Rahul Malik, SP HQ Jammu Randheer Singh, SP Rural M. L. Kaith, Tehsildars, SDPOs, besides other senior officers of various departments attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, DC Samba Mubarak Singh also convened a high level meeting to review the security scenario and law and order situation in the district.
The meeting was attended by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Officers of 168 Infantry Brigade, 92 Infantry Brigade, the Commandants of BSF and ITBP, besides the officers of the Civil Administration.
DC highlighted the role of officers of Civil Administration, Police, the Army and Para Military Forces in the event of adverse situations leading to law and order problems and to safeguard the life and property of public vis-à-vis maintaining the peace and tranquillity.
DC gave an account of arrangements made to maintain communal harmony and peace and further highlighted the role of PRIs, the prominent persons and religious heads of the communities, in maintaining peace.
He informed that regular meetings are held at various levels to maintain harmony. Besides the District Officers of various departments especially the essential services viz PHE, PDD, Health, Flood Control and CAPD have been geared up to ensure delivery of services efficiently so as to avoid public outcry, agitations and protests.
DC also sought coordination from Army and Para Military forces for tackling the situation arising out of unforeseen circumstances especially Border Firing, Infiltration, disasters etc.
SSP Samba gave account of arrangements put in place by district police to tackle law and order situations, especially for celebration of Independence Day and ensuing festivals.
DC Jammu, Samba review security arrangements
NSF seeks audit of Quality Assurance Fund in JU
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: Alleging irregularities in use of Quality Assurance Fund, members of National Secular Forum (NSF) staged a protest demonstration in Jammu University, here today.
The protesters, led by NSF president Sukhdev Singh, were demanding audit of the Quality Assurance Department since its establishment.
While addressing the protesters, Sukhdev Singh explained that the Department was charging Rs 135 from each student as Quality Assurance Fund, which was allegedly being misutilized instead of spending it for maintaining quality.
Alleging that the University has engaged some NGO, which was being provided this fund for the reasons best known to the Director Quality Assurance, the NSF leader demanded an enquiry to unearth the irregularities committed in this regard.
According to official website of Director Quality Assurance, it has been maintained in the objectives and functions that the collected QA fund would be used to undertake, intervention strategies for encouraging self-evaluation, accountability, continual improvement in all the system procedure beside many other functions, but on ground level the net result was nil, said Sukhdev Singh.
“The department is also supposed to use this fund for placements, fellowships, career education fairs besides numerous other functions, but not even a single placement drive has been conducted in Languages departments,” he added.
Demanding special audit of the funds and the department, NSF president appealed Chancellor NN Vohra to intervene into the matter and conduct a thorough probe of misappropriations.
Radhay Sham reminds CM of assurances on Nowshera issues
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: Vice-Chairman of the State Advisory Board for Development of Kissans, Radhay Sham Sharma called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Srinagar and reminded about the assurance made by the latter over vital issues raised by him at Nowshera in the recent past.
Mr Sharma reiterated his demands pertaining to development of Nowshera Assembly constituency and submitted a charter of demands containing 15 points of vital public importance. These points include; compensation to border migrants of Nowshera constituency, residential plots to them at safer places for their permanent settlement, sanctioning of cluster of model villages in Nowshera and Sunderbani, creation of EM&RE division at Nowshera, electrification of left over localities of SCs and STs, onspot recruitment in Police Department, upgradation of schools and district status to Nowshera.
Radhay Sham Sharma also demanded establishment of branches of SKUAST at Nowshera and Sunderbani, sanctioning of full-fledged maternity hospital at Nowshera, Polytechnic at Nowshera, release of funds under PWD, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control sectors and sanctioning of Anganwari Centres in the constituency.
He urged the CM to personally intervene and take up the project Jammu-Poonch Rail line via Akhnoor-Sunderbani-Nowshera and Rajouri with the Ministry of Railway for its early starting.
The Chief Minister gave a patient hearing to Mr Sharma and assured that the most important vital issues raised by the latter in the charter of demands would be considered positively before completion of tenure of the present coalition Government.
10 IAS officers from J&K fail to file returns
NEW DELHI, Aug 5:
Over 200 IAS officers have failed to submit their Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) to the Government within the stipulated time frame this year.
Of the 205 officers who did not submit their IPRs for 2013, 58 are from Uttar Pradesh cadre, 28 from Madhya Pradesh and 26 from Andhra Pradesh cadre, according to Department of Personnel and Training data.
Besides, 13 each such officials are from Odisha and West Bengal, 10 from Jammu and Kashmir, and seven each from Manipur-Tripura and from Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, it said.
There are five IAS officers from Sikkim, four each from Assam-Meghalaya, Haryana, Jharkhand, Nagaland, and Rajasthan, and three each such personnel from Bihar, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand cadres who have not submitted their IPRs for 2013.
Two officers each from Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra cadres have also not submitted their IPRs for the last year.
As many as 4,619 IAS officers are working across the country against the total authorised strength of 6,270.
There are also 152 IAS officers who have not submitted their IPRs for 2012 and 49 others who have failed to give their property details for 2011. There are also 38 IAS officers who have not submitted their IPRs for 2010, the DoPT data said.
An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer is bound to file property returns of a year by January-end of the following year, failing which promotion and empanelment to senior-level postings may be denied.
In a related development, the DoPT has asked all Central Government Ministries, States Government and Union Territories administrators to ensure that all IAS, IPS and IFoS services officers file their revised property returns by September 15, as part of a mandatory obligation under the new Lokpal rules.
“The new Lokpal rules make it mandatory to file a revised return. The circular has been issued to ensure that officers give details in time,” a senior DoPT official said.
As per the rules, notified under Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, every public servant shall file declaration, information and annual returns of his assets and liabilities as on March 31, every year, on or before July 31 of that year. However, for the current year, the last date of filing such returns have been decided as September 15.
According to the Lokpal Act, a public servant shall furnish to the competent authority information relating to the assets of which he, his spouse and his dependent children, jointly or severally, own. (PTI)
Army provides computers, furniture to Govt schools
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: As a goodwill gesture, Army provided computers and furniture to Government schools for assisting children in getting quality education.
Sohanda Rashtriya Rifles, under Delta Force, provided two computers with complete accessories and furniture to the Government Higher Secondary School Jakyas during a function in this regard.
In a similar goodwill gesture, Rashtriya Rifles Battalion based at Samote, under Uniform Force, provided furniture to Government Middle School, Baithan and Government Girls High School Budhal today.
These Government Schools are imparting education to more than 634 students of nearby villages and adjoining areas.
The furniture items were handed to the Headmasters of the Schools in presence of village Sarpanchs and other civil dignitaries.
The villagers and the school authorities appreciated the efforts of the Indian Army in providing furniture to the school.
Stop practice of alleged backdoor appointments: PDP
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 5: Urging the Election Commission (EC), State Chief Secretary and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to take cognisance of alleged backdoor appointments ahead of Assembly elections later this year, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today asked the Government to come clean on the issue.
The PDP demanded that the EC and State CEO take immediate cognisance of the reports of mass backdoor appointments being made by the Coalition Government ahead of Assembly elections and use their influence to stop this unholy practice immediately.
In a statement here this afternoon former Finance Minister and senior PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra, MP, asked the State Government to come clean on the reports of backdoor and illegal appointments being made in various departments under political influence as it has started brewing unease and resentment among the educated unemployed youth.
‘Having lost ground and public support, the ruling National Conference (NC) is now resorting to its traditional practice of backdoor appointments and corrupt practices by putting even the daily-wage and casual labourer’s jobs on sale,’ Mr Karra said. He said “there are reports that in violation of recruitment procedure, large-scale appointments of casual labourers and daily-rated workers are forced on various Government Departments on pick-and-choose basis and proposed engagement of around 16,000 salesmen and helpers for the new sale outlets of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CA&PD) is a case in point.
Mr Karra said there were reports that the officials of the CA&PD Department have been asked to issue engagement orders according to the list provided by two Ministers of the Coalition Government whose agents have already started collecting money from the aspiring youth.
‘This Government has adopted an anti-youth policy since it took over the reins of the state in 2009 and, unfortunately, it is still continuing with that,’ he said and added that the NC-Congress Coalition Government is snatching rights of the youth who deserve engagement on the basis of merit and suitability.
College teachers call on Secretary Higher Education
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: A delegation of College Teachers Association called on Secretary Higher Education Department, Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh to discuss the issues concerning the teaching community.
The deputation, led by CTA president Sanjay Verma, raised the issue of anomalies in the recently issued SRO-124 by the State Government and submitted that it was very difficult for the teaching community to fulfill the conditions as laid down for to the next higher grade. There is maximum number of such cases whose placement to Associate grade is pending due to SRO-124, they added.
The Secretary informed that the Government was aware of the matter and was contemplating to take some positive action in this regard. He asked the Association to submit a list of such aggrieved cases so that a proper decision could be taken in this regard.
The CTA also demanded the issuance of order for placement of teachers in different higher grade and stressed the need to expedite the same. The Secretary assured that the order in this regard would be issued soon as there were some technical reasons earlier.
Other demands highlighted by the CTA, included enhancement of retirement age of college teachers to 62 years, extending the benefit of SRO-222 to the college teachers, grant of permission for pursuing Ph D to the college teachers, their deputation for pre-PhD course etc.
The Secretary informed that the permission will be granted to the college teachers for pursuing Ph D outside the State only in recognized State/Central universities. He also assured to take up the issue of extending SRO-222 to college teachers with the Finance Department.
Deputy Secretary Higher Education Anil Salgotra was also present in the meeting with CTA delegation, which comprised Prof D S Manhas, Prof Narayan Dutt, Dr Anil Ganjoo, Dr Sunil Gupta and Prof Surender Sharma.
Villager injured in shoot-out
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Aug 5: A villager was injured in a shoot-out in Katarmarg Dhok area of Thanamandi tehsil in district Rajouri today.
Reports said over an old enmity, one Mohd Iqbal, son of Sobha, resident of Danna Hasplat was allegedly attacked by five persons of his village in the Dhok area today. Both the families had gone to the Dhok on higher reaches along with their cattle. There was some clash between the two groups. The tiff was converted into a bloody clash. Iqbal was stabbed and then fired upon by the members of rival party. His one ear was chopped off.
Mohd Iqbal received two bullet injuries from .12 bore gun and was shifted to Thanamandi Hospital by police party led by SHO (Prob DSP) Mehraj. After first-aid the doctors referred him to District Hospital Rajouri. The police registered a case against five accused persons who were absconding.
The police identified the accused as Abdul Rashid, Mohd Sharief and Mohd Kabir, all sons of Abdullah, Mohd Farooq, son of Makhna and Salima Akhtar, wife of Abdul Rashid, resident of Mangota near Danna Hasplat. The police has registered a case FIR No. 116/2014 under sections 307/147/148/149/ 323/ 341 RPC against the accused persons.
Elderly woman electrocuted
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Aug 5: An elderly woman was electrocuted after a live wire fell from an electric pole on her near her residence at Battal Balian, Udhampur.
The woman, identified as Darshana Devi (65) wife of Chuni Lal of Battal Balian, was rushed to hospital where doctors declared her as brought dead.
Meanwhile, in a road accident, one person was injured when his car collided with another vehicle on the National Highway at Omara Morh. The collision took place between a Swift car bearing registration number JK02AJ-9027 and Safari number JK02AR-5810. The injured person, identified as Sunil Kumar son of Bihari Lal of Bikram Chook Jammu was rushed to District Hospital Udhampur where doctors referred him to GMC Hospital Jammu.
DRDO, Army experts to dwell on Army’s health problems
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 5: A seminar on Continued Medical Education (CME) on ‘Public Health Challenges in Northern Command’ is being held at Command Hospital, Udhampur on August 7 and 8 along with a one-day pre conference workshop titled ‘Putting Public Health Into Practice’ on August 6 for Medical Officers (MOs)/ Regimental Medical Officers (RMOs)/ Nursing Officers/PGs etc.
Defence spokesman (MoD) Col S D Goswami said the broad themes of the sessions are Environmental Health “Crisis at hand”, Non Communicable Diseases “The iceberg phenomenon”, High Altitude illnesses “Problems, Practices and Research”, Vector Borne Diseases “Reflecting on past and perspectives of future” and Mental Health “Are we doing Enough”.
“Indian Army’s Northern Command is unique and vital in its role as far as security of our country is concerned. The command has very diverse terrain, climate, role and mission. Troops are deployed in high altitude area, counter insurgency operations locations where they face diverse health problems like high altitude illness, cold injuries and stress related disorders along with communicable and non communicable diseases,’’ Col Goswami said.
He said the military history has unambiguously established that environmental factors have claimed more lives and limbs of soldiers, than combat itself.
“A majority of diseases are preventable even during active warfare. The success or failure of an army rests on the levels of fitness of the soldiers and on the measures taken to protect them from sickness. Hence, the Military Medical Officers should be conversant with public health measures. The practice of medicine in the Armed Forces has its own peculiarities and there is a need to develop an updated strategy for Public Health Challenges in Armed Forces,’’ Col Goswami said.
The conference aimed to bring together on one platform, all the relevant stakeholders dealing with public health at different levels and therefore will be attended by prominent policy makers, public health scientists, decision makers, programme managers from military establishment. The conference will see experts on the subjects from the Armed Forces and DRDO dwell upon various issues of concern.
“An exhibition of public health equipment and various equipment and devices developed by DRDO labs is being put up. The Jammu & Kashmir Medical Council has granted eight credit hours for this CME,’’ Col Goswami said.
The continued Medical Education would provide an opportunity to the Medical Officers and Specialists, attending the conference to a situation update on public health issues being faced by the Armed Forces currently, the action plan and the future perspective planning for the implementing the preventive and control strategy.